AccorHotels in talks to acquire FCDE stake in Groupe Noctis

16 May 2017

AccorHotels and the Fonds de Consolidation et de Développement des Entreprises have announced they are in exclusive talks about the hotel giant acquiring 100 per cent of the latter’s minority interest in Groupe Noctis.

Laurent de Gourcuff, Groupe Noctis’ chairman and majority shareholder, established the company in 2008 and has since grown it into a key player in the hospitality market covering three segments, namely events, catering and entertainment.

It has almost 800 employees and a collection of exclusive venues in Paris, wider France and abroad.

It treats its French and international customers to a choice of upscale and emblematic venues (Monsieur Bleu, Loulou, Pavillons des Etangs, YOYO, Château de Longchamp, Raspoutine, Castel, etc.), and organises over 3,000 events a year.

The FCDE invested €11 million in Noctis over 2013 and 2014, to help it roll out its strategically important events business, in particular through acquisitions, enabling it to grow into one of the key groups in its market and build one of the most remarkable asset portfolios in Paris.

These projects will cement the group’s position in the hospitality market and rank it among the leading entertainment companies in Paris.

By investing in a top-tier Paris-based events, catering and entertainment specialist, AccorHotels is cementing its leadership in the City of Lights, a prominent destination for international and local customers seeking original and exclusive venues.

Sébastien Bazin, chairman, AccorHotels: “We’re very excited about teaming up with Groupe Noctis, which has come to rank among the leaders in a fiercely competitive environment in only a few years.

“It’s more than an enviable address book: Laurent de Gourcuff and his teams have built a portfolio of distinctive venues with strong characters that are promoting Paris on the international scene.

“This alliance blends naturally into our plans to transform and boost AccorHotels with a view to catering to increasingly discerning customers’ wants and needs beyond the travel universe.

“Its expertise and ours complement each other, and pooling our assets will put us in a position to tap into growth opportunities and synergies in France and beyond.”

Through this strategic partnership, Noctis will be able to tap into AccorHotels’ unrivalled expertise in creating customer experiences, nurturing loyalty and providing top-of-the-range services with a personal touch for increasingly discerning clients – in particular to address French and international business clients’ requirements.

The operation under consideration will be submitted to employee representatives for consultation.
de Gourcuff said: “The fact that the FCDE invested in our equity encouraged our business and financial partners, helped us transform our governance, added a more professional edge to our group’s management and opened the door to bank financing.

“The FCDE has been a very valuable partner for an entrepreneur such as myself, and has played a pivotal role in our development strategy’s success.”